American gas plant could be deployed in Ferizaj, Government still without official stance

For a country like Kosovo, where about 90 percent of electricity is still produced from coal, and only about 10 percent comes from renewable sources such as water, wind, and sun, gas can serve as an alternative to breaking deep dependence on one source.

But in recent weeks, when the US and American companies have signed billion agreements with several Western Balkan countries - to expand the energy impact in the region - Kosovo has not been part of this investment wave.

Important initiatives have entered: Albania, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, including in a major project for the construction of a gas pipeline aimed at removing Sarajevo from Russian supplies.

Meanwhile, it was busy at the American Embassy in Pristina, Annu Prattipati, has called on Kosovo to enter into long-term energy partnership with the United States through the project on liquid natural gas (LNG), saying it would help secure its energy future.

Prattipati had written that Kosovo is failing to meet growing energy supply requirements and cited Kosovo Customs data, that the country has spent 735m euros on importing electricity from neighbouring countries in the past four years.

This data shows an increase of 142m euros in 2024 to 259m euros in 2025.

“in the foreseeable future, as prices and energy demands continue to rise, Kosovo will increasingly depend on its neighbours”, she wrote.

Kosova Prees has learned from sources close to the US gas pipeline project in the event of reconciliation from Kosovo, the environment for the collection of liquid gas would be deployed in Ferizaj, and from there it would be distributed across Kosovo.

In this regard, KosovoPress has spoken with Energy Economics Professor Adorim Haxhimusa, who said that the American gas project, in any form coming, either liquid or natural, is welcome because of its energy density and great opportunities that this project can offer.

Haxhimusa said Ferizaj as a geographical position would greatly adapt to the deployment of the gas collection and distribution plant, as it is close to large cities such as Pristina, Gjilani and other cities.

Because Kosovo, the Kosovo industry, the Kosovo businesses, but even Kosovo's environment does not enjoy the luck of getting close to this energy source, then gas, be it liquid, be it natural, in whatever form it comes is welcome because of its energy density and great opportunities it can offer. Because it can be deployed both in the household sector and in preparation for food and heating. On the other side for industries is much greater because its price is lower than the price of electricity and on the other hand can be used for industrial processes where very high temperatures are needed, which means that it opens opportunities for businesses or for industries or branches that have so far been unable to develop in Kosovo. For Ferizaj as its location, I believe it fits very well because of industry that is relatively focused in this region of Kosovo and its proximity to large centres starting in Pristina, Gjilan and other Kosovo centres. I believe that the geographical position is in a good position to offer this service”, Haxhimusa said.

Haxhimusa said that at the moment Kosovo accepts the American gas project, the charge would be reduced on the electro-ethergenetic system, as well as the need to build new power generation capacities.

“On the other side of the gas can also be used for electricity production. In this case, we're talking here about Great Britain, we're talking about European Union countries, they use gas mainly as bridge technology towards full energy transition. So Kosovo will have great priority if it embraces, if it takes and integrates or has access to this energy source, and if we don't, if the Government of the Republic of Kosovo refuses to invest in the basic gas infrastructure, then the question is what alternative do we have? And if I'm allowed to say, Kosovo is actually in an energy collapse. There's huge energy collapses and the system is almost completely failed. Why do I say it completely failed? Because you can't count on it, you can't believe you're gonna have a stable power supply, and because time and again electricity is shut down, you can't predict when you're gonna have electricity. And that's why we're not in a position to say no to these projects or any other project, without knowing any other alternative, or offering any other alternative to how we can get through this collapse, this developing transition, or another national power insurance. That there should be no discussion if American gas is needed for Kosovo Preress, former LDK candidate for deputy from Ferizaj, Visar Azemi, says.

According to Azzam, the American gas project is most certainly done and is the only option Kosovo has left on the table.

“There should be no discussion about whether Kosovo is needed or not and whether it should come. So it's certainly and it's the only option Kosovo has left at the table. So it takes as soon as it starts so that the expensive energy imports were halted and the power mafia could not harvest Kosovo as it has harvested for years. Ferizaj is certainly a strategic point because gas from Greece runs through northern Macedonia and the first point Ferizaj could have been to Kosovo. Even because of the potential of developing country, but also because of the safety of this asset from the largest American base in Kosovo, Ferizaj is more or less fulfilling all the conditions and criteria that should be followed by a city to be the collection point and distribution of the liquid gas network in Kosovo. The reactions that have occurred, you know, the gas has been on the table of negotiations with the American government since 2019-20. When it was rejected in the framework of Kurt 1 -- the US government has been beautifully upset because Kosovo may be one of the main gas distribution nodes not only for Kosovo but for the Western Balkans”, Azemi said.

Azem said that with the construction of the gas collection facility in Ferizaj, this town would benefit jobs and create new opportunities for businesses.

We are talking about gasification of Kosovo. So in terms of gasification, we will also build central heaters that will use gas to create heat for the cities of Kosovo, even the gas plant. So it's one of the biggest strategic projects in the country which, especially Ferizaj, would create jobs, create opportunities for businesses and so on. That's why we're looking forward to this project living here in Ferizaj as soon as possible.

For the possibility of placing the gas collection facility in Ferizaj, Kosova Prees has spoken to the citizens of this city, saying such a project is more than welcome for the Ferizajans as criticism came to the incumbent prime minister, Albin Kurti, who has so far rejected this project.

It is a good one for us, especially for the Priziyaans and all over Kosovo. But these leaders of ours what they're doing, what they're deciding we don't know. We get American gas and we stabilize with others. But we have had the greatest help and support from America, and I still believe that we are not left without help. So foolishness is also against this” project, he said.

And the other citizen from Ferizaj, Rexhep Sadiku, described the failure to accept the American gas project as wrong, as saying it has been working for decades for Kosovo to have America at hand.

It's been working decades for America to be close to, because America historically was our oxygen and just the emotion and existence of our national being that neither our country today nor in history would be. So this century-long investment of Albanians to keep America close and simply to bypass a superpower that dictates the formation of every people, every state, is not only wrong, but also treason. It's just a part that's compounded and operated on Serbian-Russian projects. Because the Russians are the ones who want to extend their influence in Kosovo”, Mustaf Kurteqi said.

On the other hand, Faruk Lipovica, American gas would be a national asset to Kosovo.

“Gazi is a national asset for having in our laughter, of our salvation. While many surrounding countries have accepted it, they have made arrangements, such as Greece, Macedonia and all other states, we in Kosovo have lost weight. The prime minister is also stubborn about not taking this project. For what? Who is he protecting? What interests does he defend if he does not? So it protects the interests of Greece, the interests of surrounding states. What's the point of getting to Vlora when you get here at Ferizaj? Second, with gas you can fix the central warming of cities. We never get this chance again. Therefore, anything America proposes to us for the good of Kosovo we must accept”, he said.

Otherwise, at the Trans-Atlantic Gas Security Summit, held in February in Washington, Kosovo Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli, currently in office, expressed Kosovo's readiness to supply natural gas from the United States, describing co-operation as <x0-seater” for a secure energy sector.

However, early June Prattipati urged Kosovo to act quickly to realise this partnership because building the necessary infrastructure will take time.

It warned that the “opportunity to join these projects is closing”.

And while the prime minister in office, Albin Kurti has again refused to speak to the media on this issue, the member of the LDK chairmanship and former Kosovo Prime Minister, Avdullah Hoti, has called for organising a democratic protest in support of the US-born Natural Gas project (LNG) and for preserving Kosovo's alliance with the United States.

Through a public reaction, Hoti has declared that refusing this project by the Government of Kosovo risks leaving Kosovo as the only country in the Western Balkans outside of a regional energy project, which, according to him, had continued support and perseverance by the American administration.

He has recalled that the project stems from the September 4th 2020 Washington Agreement, stressing that objections to it in the past have been political, while already, according to him, the project's strategic and economic importance has been proven.

Hoti has rejected Government arguments for rejecting the project, assessing that they do not stay economically. According to him, the gas project is compatible with Kosovo's energy strategy and would help diversify energy resources and boost supply security.

In the end, Hoti has called on economic opas, civil society organisations, businesses and citizens to join a democratic protest in support of the US gas project and strategic partnership between Kosovo and the US. /Periscope